Washington Union students create awareness campaign against drug abuse, head to competition

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Students astatine Washington Union High School are taking the conflict against cause maltreatment into their ain hands.

Three teens person created an consciousness run successful hopes of keeping students safe.

Juniors Ashley Xiong, Jenny Sandee and Diana Viera started moving connected an consciousness run past fall.

"We've seen a increasing prevalence successful the assemblage and it has affected not lone our household and friends but teenagers who didn't cognize astir the existent harm drugs that person connected them," Xiong said.

They started by surveying classmates astir their cognition of drugs and their broadside effects.

"Not a batch of radical knew wherever to find resources connected campus," Xiong said.

In an effort to marque resources easy accessible, they started an Instagram account with information.

They besides enactment up posters they designed astir campus.

"We privation to benignant of pass that these are radical that request assistance and it's good if you request help." Viera said.

They created and chopped retired bookmarks with assets accusation and passed them retired astatine the downtown Fresno County Library and teamed up with their field cause involution specializer to make luncheon activities.

One was "Trick oregon Trivia", investigating student's knowledge.

"For each question they got close they would person candy. If they answered the question incorrectly, they would person a flyer from Prodigy connected preventative resources." Sandee said.

Now, they're readying to showcase their hard enactment astatine the Future Health Professionals Student Leadership Conference.

With guidance from Steven Rizzo, the Director of Career Tech Education and Patient Pathway Coordinator Tony Pena, they've been compiling their enactment into a portfolio to contiguous to judges.

They'll beryllium taking portion successful the statewide contention successful the assemblage consciousness category.

District Superintendent Randy Morris says students successful the territory look galore of the aforesaid challenges arsenic the authorities and nation.

"It's encouraging to spot our kids taking this accidental to marque a propulsion successful an effort truly to not lone make awareness, but make consciousness of resources and options for kids to get assistance erstwhile they request it." Morris said.

Ashley, Jenny and Diana are present putting their last touches connected their run arsenic they caput into competition. They accidental they're nervous, but assured to look the judges.

"With capable signifier we'll bash conscionable fine," Xiong said.

The young ladies caput to the statewide contention successful Southern California adjacent week.

The apical 3 teams from the statewide contention volition beforehand to the nationwide contention successful Texas.

For quality updates, travel Jessica Harrington connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.